Systems and Methods for Monitoring and Managing Life of a Battery in an Analyte Sensor System Worn by a User

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/337,564, filed Jun. 20, 2023, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/442,309, filed Jun. 14, 2019, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 11,690,538, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/974,865, filed Dec. 18, 2015, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,362,973, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/569,512, filed Dec. 12, 2014, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,052,050, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/916,778, filed Dec. 16, 2013. The aforementioned applications are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety, and are hereby expressly made a part of this specification.

Systems and methods for analyte monitoring, particularly systems and methods for monitoring and managing life of a battery in an analyte sensor system worn by a user, are provided.

Diabetes mellitus is a disorder in which the pancreas cannot create sufficient insulin (Type I or insulin dependent) and/or in which insulin is not effective (Type 2 or non-insulin dependent). In the diabetic state, the victim suffers from high blood sugar, which causes an array of physiological derangements (kidney failure, skin ulcers, or bleeding into the vitreous of the eye) associated with the deterioration of small blood vessels. A hypoglycemic reaction (low blood sugar) may be induced by an inadvertent overdose of insulin, or after a normal dose of insulin or glucose-lowering agent accompanied by extraordinary exercise or insufficient food intake.

Conventionally, a diabetic person carries a self-monitoring blood glucose (SMBG) monitor, which typically requires uncomfortable finger pricking methods. Due to the lack of comfort and convenience, a diabetic will normally only measure his or her glucose level two to four times per day. Unfortunately, these time intervals are spread so far apart that the diabetic will likely find out too late, sometimes incurring dangerous side effects, of a hyperglycemic or hypoglycemic condition. In fact, it is not only unlikely that a diabetic will take a timely SMBG value, but additionally the diabetic will not know if his blood glucose value is going up (higher) or down (lower) based on conventional methods.

Consequently, a variety of non-invasive, transdermal (e.g., transcutaneous) and/or implantable electrochemical sensors are being developed for continuously detecting and/or quantifying blood glucose values. These devices generally transmit raw or minimally processed data for subsequent analysis at a remote device, which can include a display.

Details of one or more implementations of the subject matter described in this specification are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, aspects, and advantages will become apparent from the description, the drawings, and the claims. Note that the relative dimensions of the following figures may not be drawn to scale.

In a first aspect, a method for monitoring a battery installed in an analyte sensor system worn by a user is provided. The method can comprise measuring a value indicative of a current power level of the battery; and predicting remaining useful life of the battery based on the measured value indicative of the current power level and an assumed future usage of the analyte sensor system.

In certain implementations of the first aspect, which is generally applicable, particularly with any other implementation of the first aspect, the method can further comprise

In certain implementations of the first aspect, which is generally applicable, particularly with any other implementation of the first aspect, the analyte sensor system can be a continuous glucose sensor system.

In certain implementations of the first aspect, which is generally applicable, particularly with any other implementation of the first aspect, the measured value can be a voltage drop indicative of an internal resistance of the battery.

In certain implementations of the first aspect, which is generally applicable, particularly with any other implementation of the first aspect, the method can further comprise comparing the voltage drop to a predetermined voltage profile curve associated with the battery.

In certain implementations of the first aspect, which is generally applicable, particularly with any other implementation of the first aspect, the voltage drop can be measured while the battery is connected to an artificial load consisting of one or more passive components.

In certain implementations of the first aspect, which is generally applicable, particularly with any other implementation of the first aspect, the voltage drop can be measured while the battery is connected to an artificial load comprising an active component configured as a constant current source.

In certain implementations of the first aspect, which is generally applicable, particularly with any other implementation of the first aspect, the voltage drop can be measured while the analyte sensor system performs one or more tasks known to draw a constant current from the battery.

In certain implementations of the first aspect, which is generally applicable, particularly with any other implementation of the first aspect, the one or more tasks can include a specific wireless transmission mode.

In certain implementations of the first aspect, which is generally applicable, particularly with any other implementation of the first aspect, the specific wireless transmission mode can be used for a bulk transfer of data items stored in a database.

In certain implementations of the first aspect, which is generally applicable, particularly with any other implementation of the first aspect, the measured value can be an output of a Coulomb counter configured to provide an integral of a load current drawn from the battery over time.

In certain implementations of the first aspect, which is generally applicable, particularly with any other implementation of the first aspect, the measured value can be a number of event counts associated with usage of the analyte sensor system.

In certain implementations of the first aspect, which is generally applicable, particularly with any other implementation of the first aspect, the method can further comprise incrementing the number of event counts based on number and type of transactions performed by the analyte sensor system.

In certain implementations of the first aspect, which is generally applicable, particularly with any other implementation of the first aspect, the transactions can include a regularly-scheduled transmission of a current measured analyte value and a bulk transfer of stored past measured analyte values, and the bulk transfer causes a greater increment in the number of events as compared to the regularly-scheduled transmission.

In certain implementations of the first aspect, which is generally applicable, particularly with any other implementation of the first aspect, the number of event counts can include a time count indicative of time elapsed since the battery was installed in the analyte sensor system.

In certain implementations of the first aspect, which is generally applicable, particularly with any other implementation of the first aspect, the elapsed time can include time the analyte sensor system was on a shelf prior to first usage.

In certain implementations of the first aspect, which is generally applicable, particularly with any other implementation of the first aspect, wherein the measured value can be a number of counts, the number of counts being a sum of a time count indicative of time the analyte sensor system was on a shelf prior to first usage and a number of event counts associated with usage of the analyte sensor system.

In certain implementations of the first aspect, which is generally applicable, particularly with any other implementation of the first aspect, the assumed future usage can be based on stored history of prior usage of the analyte sensor system.

In certain implementations of the first aspect, which is generally applicable, particularly with any other implementation of the first aspect, the method can further comprise transmitting data indicative of the current power level of the battery to a display device configured to display analyte values received from the analyte sensor system.

In certain implementations of the first aspect, which is generally applicable, particularly with any other implementation of the first aspect, the method can further comprise transmitting an alert indicating that the current power level of the battery is less than a predefined power level a display device configured to display analyte values received from the analyte sensor system.

In certain implementations of the first aspect, which is generally applicable, particularly with any other implementation of the first aspect, the method can further comprise transmitting data indicative of the predicted remaining useful life of the battery to a display device configured to display analyte values received from the analyte sensor system.

In certain implementations of the first aspect, which is generally applicable, particularly with any other implementation of the first aspect, the method can further comprise transmitting a first alert indicating that the predicted remaining useful life is less than a predefined time to a display device configured to display analyte values received from the analyte sensor system.

In certain implementations of the first aspect, which is generally applicable, particularly with any other implementation of the first aspect, the method can further comprise disabling one or more functions of the analyte sensor system after passage of the predicted remaining useful life.

In certain implementations of the first aspect, which is generally applicable, particularly with any other implementation of the first aspect, the method can further comprise transmitting a second alert indicating that one or more functions of the analyte sensor system have been disabled.

In a second aspect, an analyte sensor system worn by a user is provided. The analyte sensor system can comprise an analyte sensor; a transceiver configured to transmit and receive wireless signals; a battery; a battery measurement module coupled to the battery and configured to measure a value indicative of a current power level of the battery; a prediction module coupled to the battery measurement module and configured to predict remaining useful life of the battery based on the measured value and an assumed future usage of the analyte sensor system; and a control module coupled to the transceiver and at least one of the battery measurement module and the prediction module and configured to control one or more data transmission functions of the analyte sensor system based on at least one of the measured value and the predicted remaining useful life.

In certain implementations of the second aspect, which is generally applicable, particularly with any other implementation of the second aspect, the analyte sensor system can be a continuous glucose sensor system.

In certain implementations of the second aspect, which is generally applicable, particularly with any other implementation of the second aspect, the battery measurement module can include a voltage sensor configured to measure a voltage drop indicative of an internal resistance of the battery.

In certain implementations of the second aspect, which is generally applicable, particularly with any other implementation of the second aspect, the analyte sensor system can further comprise a memory configured to store a predetermined voltage profile curve associated with the battery, and a comparison module configured to compare the measured voltage drop to the voltage profile curve, and determine the current power level based on the comparison.

In certain implementations of the second aspect, which is generally applicable, particularly with any other implementation of the second aspect, the battery measurement module can measure the voltage drop while the battery is connected to an artificial load.

In certain implementations of the second aspect, which is generally applicable, particularly with any other implementation of the second aspect, the artificial load can comprise an active component configured to act as a constant current source.

In certain implementations of the second aspect, which is generally applicable, particularly with any other implementation of the second aspect, the active component can include an operational amplifier.

In certain implementations of the second aspect, which is generally applicable, particularly with any other implementation of the second aspect, the active component can include a MOSFET.

In certain implementations of the second aspect, which is generally applicable, particularly with any other implementation of the second aspect, the battery measurement module can measure the voltage drop while the analyte sensor system performs one or more tasks known to draw a constant current from the battery.

In certain implementations of the second aspect, which is generally applicable, particularly with any other implementation of the second aspect, the one or more tasks can include a specific wireless transmission mode.

In certain implementations of the second aspect, which is generally applicable, particularly with any other implementation of the second aspect, the prediction module can be configured to predict when the voltage drop will exceed a predefined maximum allowed voltage drop.

In certain implementations of the second aspect, which is generally applicable, particularly with any other implementation of the second aspect, the battery measurement module can include a Coulomb counter configured to provide an integral of a current drawn from the battery over time.

In certain implementations of the second aspect, which is generally applicable, particularly with any other implementation of the second aspect, the battery measurement module can include a counter configured to count a number of events associated with usage of the analyte sensor system.

In certain implementations of the second aspect, which is generally applicable, particularly with any other implementation of the second aspect, the counter can be configured to increment the number of events based on number and type of transactions performed by the analyte sensor system.

In certain implementations of the second aspect, which is generally applicable, particularly with any other implementation of the second aspect, the counter can be further configured to increment the number of events based on time elapsed since the battery was first installed in the analyte sensor system.

In certain implementations of the second aspect, which is generally applicable, particularly with any other implementation of the second aspect, the elapsed time can include time the analyte sensor system was on shelf before first usage.

In certain implementations of the second aspect, which is generally applicable, particularly with any other implementation of the second aspect, the assumed future usage can be based on stored history of prior usage of the analyte sensor system.

In certain implementations of the second aspect, which is generally applicable, particularly with any other implementation of the second aspect, the control module can be configured to disable one or more data transmission functions of the analyte sensor system if the current power level of the battery is less than a predefined power level.

In certain implementations of the second aspect, which is generally applicable, particularly with any other implementation of the second aspect, the control module can be configured to disable one or more data transmission functions of the analyte sensor system if the predicted remaining useful life of the battery is less than a predefined time.

In certain implementations of the second aspect, which is generally applicable, particularly with any other implementation of the second aspect, the control module can be configured to cause the transceiver to transmit data indicative of the current power level of the battery to a display device for displaying analyte values received from the transceiver.